Though the Indian government and the railways have give utmost priority to sanitation, still there are many trains in the country running without a toilet. In a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the Railway Ministry said that there are 58 numbers of passenger trains running without a toilet in Eastern Railways.

Odisha based rights activist Akhand had sought information asking the Railways that "how many passenger trains are running without toilets in the country?"

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The Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) had forwarded the RTI application to the concerned information officers in various zones of the railways.

In the reply to the query, S.Vijay, the PIO of Eastern Railway headquarter at Kolkata, replied that "There are 58 numbers of passenger trains running without a toilet in Eastern Railway Coaches." The PIO also attached a list of trains running in the concerned zone without a toilet.

It is noted that in December 2013, Akhand had filed a petition before the National Human Rights Commissions(NHRC) stating that the toilets of railway contribute to a major chunk of open defecation as shit is thrown on the tracks.

The railways have assured the Commission that "Railways decide to eliminate production of all types of new passenger's coaches with direct discharge toilets system by 2016-17". And by 2021-22, entire fleet of passenger's coaches will be free from open toilets." He has also filed a separate complaint against the Railways over some trains running without a toilet in Odisha.

"After getting the new information about the non-toilets trains in the eastern railways, I will file a fresh complaint before NHRC", said Akhand.